The Touchstone
When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read little, bought it for very little money.
The book wasn't very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "Touchstone"! The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold.
The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.
So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles. He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea. The days continued over a long period if time.
One day, however, about mid-afternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along he still threw it away.
So it is with opportunity. Unless we are cautious, it’s easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it’s just as easy to throw it away.The man bought the book because .
| A．he wanted to read it | B．it was very interesting |
| C．there was a secret in the book | D．he wanted to find the touchstone |
We can learn from the passage that the touchstone is .
| A．pure | B．cold | C．magic | D．big |
Why did the man throw the pebbles into the sea?
| A．Because he didn’t want to get the same pebbles. |
| B．Because he didn’t want others to pick them up. |
| C．Because he didn’t like their ordinary looks. |
| D．Because he didn’t like the cold feelings. |
What does the author want to tell us in the passage?
| A．We about orate opportunities in our life. |
| B．We should seek for opportunities in the world. |
| C．We may seize opportunities when we are watchful |
| D．We may discover opportunities when forming habits. |
Eight – year – old Jesse Abrogate was playing in the sea late one evening in July 2001 when a 7 – foot bull shark attacked him and tore off his arm. Jesse’s uncle jumped into the sea and dragged the boy to shore. The boy was not breathing. His aunt gave him mouth – to – mouth resuscitation (人工呼吸) while his uncle rang the emergency services. Pretty soon, a he
licopter arrived and flew the boy to hospital. It was a much quicker journey than the journey by road.
Jesse’s uncle, Vance Folsenzier, ran back into to the sea and found the shark that had attacked his nephew. He picked the shark up and threw it onto the beach. A coastguard shot the fish four times and although this did not kill it, the shark’s jaws relaxed so that they could open them, and reach down into its stomach, and pull out the boy’s arm.
At the Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Dr Ian Rogers spent eleven hours reattaching Jesse’s arm. “It was a complicated operation,” he said, “but we were lucky. If the arm hadn’t been recovered in time, we wouldn’t have been able to do the operation at all. What I mean is that if they hadn’t found the shark, well then we wouldn’t have had a chance.’
According to local park ranger Jack Tomosvic, shark attacks are not that common. “Jesse was just unlucky,” he says, “evening is the shark’s feeding time. And Jesse was in area without lifeguards. This would never have happened if he had been in area where swimming is allowed.’
When reporters asked Jesse’s uncle how he had had the courage to fight a shark, he replied, “I was mad and you do some strange things when you’re mad.”What was the boy doing when the accident happened?
| A．Feeding a hungry shark. | B．Jumping into the  rough sea. |
| C．Dragging a boy to the shore. | D．Swimming in a dangerous area. |
In which way did the boy’s uncle help with the operation?
| A．By finding his lost arm. | B．By shooting the fish. |
| C．By flying him to hospital. | D．By blowing into his mouth. |
How was his uncle in time of danger?
| A．Careful. | B．Brave. | C．Optimistic. | D．Patient. |
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It was in my high school science class. I was doing a task in front of the classroom with my favorite shirt on.
A 36 came,“Nice shirt,”I smiled from ear to ear. Then another voice said,“That shirt belonged to my dad. Greg’s mother works for my family. We were going to 37 that shirt away, but gave it to her 38 .”I was speechless. I wanted to hide.
I 39 the shirt in the back of the closet and told my mum what had happened. She then dialed her 40 , “I will no longer work for your family,”she told him. That night, Mom told my dad that she couldn’t clean anymore; she knew her life’s 41 was something greater.
The next morning she 42 with the personnel manager at the Board of Eeucation. He told her that without a proper education she could not teach. So mom decided to 43 a university.
After the first year in college, she went back to the personnel manager. He said, “You are 44 , aren’t you? I think I have a 45 for you as a teacher’s assistant. This opportunity deals with children who are mentally challenged with little or no chance of 46 .” Mom accepted the opportunity very 47 .
For almost five years, as a teacher’s assistant, she saw teacher after teacher give up on the children and quit, feeling 48 . then one day, the personnel manager and the principal 49 in her classroom. The principal said, “We have watched how you 50 the children and how they communicate with you and admire your hard – working 51 over th
e last five years. We are all in agreement that you 52 be th
e teacher of this class.”
My mom spent more than 20 years there. 53 her career, she was voted Teacher of the Year. All of this came about because of the 54 comment made in the classroom that day. Mom showed me how to handle 55 situations and never give up.
36．A．noise B．voice C．sound D．tune
37．A．get B．take C．carry D．throw
38．A．otherwise B．anyhow C．instead D．actually
39．A．settled B．pushed C
．stored D．stuck
40．A．teacher B．employer C．director D．adviser
41．A．purpose B．encouragement C．achievement D．victory
42．A．went B．met C．worked D．stayed
43．A．visit B．continue C．attend D．prepare
44．A．serious B．fortunate C．careful D．responsible
45．A．career B．duty C．position D．part
46．A．learning B．judging C．obeying D．imagining
47．A．patiently B．eagerly C．successfully D．skillfully
48．A．upset B．frightened C．guilty D．ashamed
49．A．looked up B．went up C．took up D．showed up
50．A．believe B．protect C．treat D．receive
51．A．spirit B．intention C．action D．attempt
52．A．must B．would C．might D．should
53．A．At B．During C．On D．With
54．A．worthless B．thoughtless C．hopeless D．helpless
55．A．challenging B．different C．dangerous D．strange
I think you should complain — ____,of course, you are happy with the way things are.
| A．if | B．unless | C．as | D．because |
－How do you usually find out about new software?
－In the magazines like Popular Electronics. That’s computer companies usually advertise.
| A．which | B．where | C．what | D．why |
______the address, Tom sent the email to his teacher.
| A．Having checked | B．Checked | C．Being checked | D．To check |
They all wanted to stop working because they were tired, but ___of them would say sl.
| A．any | B．some | C．none | D．neither |
________Hard you may try, you can’t possibly persuade Tom to give up smoking, for he is so addicted to it.
| A．Whatever | B．However | C．Whichever | D．Whenever |
Every year, Tom remembers to have some flowers ______to her mother on her birthday.
| A．send | B．sent | C．sending | D．being sent |
It’s not easy to learn English well. _______as much as possible is necessary.
| A．Having read | B．Read | C．Reading | D．To have read |
－Peter, would you like a beer to go with your meal?
—Sure, it___________.
| A．ordered | B．was oredred | C．has been ordered | D．has ordered |
Oct.1st, _________is our National Day, is always celebrated with singing and dancig.
| A．as | B．that | C．when | D．which |
Young people go to college with the expectation that_________educated people get a higher pay.
| A．good | B．better | C．best | D．the best |
Only when Tom fully recovered _________back to work.
| A．did he go | B．he went | C．had he gone | D．he had gone |
The couple finally bought the house they wanted, for they _______enough money.
| A．had saved | B．were saving | C．would save | D．were to save |
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